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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · face · tube · spring · fall · nail · can · vault

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. face — to confront
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tube — a container
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spring — a coil
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. tube — the underground
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com